Military organizations use a variety of military training techniques to instill skills into their members. One of the most effective types of military training is realistic training, otherwise known as war games. This type of training simulates actual combat scenarios and allows the participants to undergo a realistic combat experience. War games usually involve actual deployments of troops or players and vehicles into a limited area and include all of the movement and action that takes place during a real combat scenario but typically without that danger of live ordinance and ammunition.
In this regard, various systems have been developed to provide players with a realistic combat environment by attempting to provide a simulation system which records and tracks positional information relative to each player and some objects. Other systems have been developed which attempt to provide each player within a combat scenario with the positional information for the other players. More specifically, several simulation systems have been developed to provide active imaging of defined field of regard or rooms in an attempt to scan the room for player activity such as entry, exit and movement throughout the room. Such systems attempt to first determine the presence of an object or player and then the location or range. For instance, one known scanning system discloses a target detector which receives retro-reflected laser energy from an optical target. This known scanning system discloses that when a target is detected, a separate range-finder with separate optics and detector can be pointed in a direction identified by the target detector to determine a range to the target. However, this known scanning system, as well as others, requires many components and a complex set up. Further, oftentimes such scanning systems are cost prohibitive and thus limit an organization's ability to provide a realistic environment.
Additionally, one of the restrictions of current scanning systems is that player tracking forces a variability in the scan depression angle if a single source is to be used. This is because the system's scanner must be positioned at a high elevation within a room or structure and a player may enter the room in a crouching position. Another restriction on current scanning systems is that multiple players within a room could shadow one another, thereby causing the system to have to re-identify a player after the shadowing is removed. Still another restriction on current systems is that player identification with a rangefinder is difficult or requires a substantial visible cue such as an encoded bar or similar element where intensity could be tested for reading. Still another restriction on current systems is that the angular resolution from a single site provides a less than desirable resolution the further the object or player is from the scanner. This could force an inappropriately high resolution and system speed for close targets to obtain the needed far distance resolution and either limit eye safety or reduce dynamic motion tracking speed.